Starman

John Carpenter
USA, 1984

by Michael Nordine

M

My interest in Starman was piqued long before I started writing here in the fall of 2010, mainly due to Rumsey having singled out its final shot on his author page. Rumsey is right: between Jack Nitzsche’s ethereal synth score and Karen Allen’s confused but wistful facial expression, it’s a moment I enjoyed so much that I couldn’t help immediately re-watching it. The hardhearted among us could easily dismiss the scene as saccharine and cliché, but to these eyes it’s beautifully simple in a way I can only describe as classical—something few films even attempt these days. The rest of the movie, while notable for Allen and Jeff Bridges’ performances, has not stayed with me in quite the same way; even so, I would gladly sit through it again just to watch that last minute once more.